Bumper



July 1 4" C. GIRL. ET AL Filed Sept 28 1921 Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cnms'rmnoinn, or KALAMAZOO, AND JOHN a. on, or DETROIT, awar -Ln, AS-

SIGNOBS, BY DIRECT am) MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro THE 0. o. srnme a serum; comamr, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, a CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

nomnn.

Application fled September 28, 1921. Serial No. 503,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Cmus'run Gum and JOHN G. U'rz, citizens of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, and. (2) Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have in vented a certain new and useful Improve- --ment in Bumpers, of which the following is a-full, clear, and exact description, reference .ibeing, had to the accompanying drawings. i

This invention relates to bumpers for automobiles and similar vehicles and has for its general object to provide a bum er of this character whichiscapable of 0' ering a progressive resistance to the trans mission of shocks to the vehicle by which it is carried, whereby the bumper is capable of =-absorbing= shocks of varying in tensity; also; to provide a. bumper of this character which will absorb shocks in this manner, regardless-of :the particular part of with and spaced from the. impact section of- 'thefront impact portion thereof to which the shocks or blows'are ap lied. A further and inore limited 'object' o the invention is to provide an eflicient means for transmits ting shocksjn the manner above described from two or'more vertically spaced bumper members to nd including a rear member. Further an more limited objects of the invention wi l appear hereinafter and will be realized in and throughthe construction and combination. of parts illustrated in the drawings andset forth in the claims forming part hereof In the 'drawings'Fig. 1 represents a plan view of our bumperfshowintzlhe same at tached to the ends of the side members of an automobile; Fig. 2a front elevation of the said bumper; and-Fig. 3 an elevation of one of the intermediate and auxiliary spring plates forming a' part of said, bumper.

Describing, the various parts by reference characters, 1 denotes the ends of the,side members ofan automobile to which bracket arms 2 are. attached in any convenient manner,-as by bolts 3 and 4. Pivoted to the ends of the bracket 'arms 2 are clamping members 5, the pivotal or hinged connections. between the said members and arms being indicated at'6. For convenience of descri bers comprises a continuous tion and discussion, the\bumper isassumed I to be attached to the mint ends of the side the terms front and rear? will be used in connection with the var-dons parts of the bumper but without limiting our invention to bumpers employed only with the front ends of such vehicles and side members. A

Adjustably connected -to the clamping members 5 is the rear section-of our bumper. This rear section is shown herein as a continuous spring plate member 7 provided at each end with an eye 8 for the reception or the bolts which support the outer ends of the, front spring .members. The spring plate is preferably bent forwardly fromeach eye 8, as indicated at 7', and then rear-. wardly, as indicated at 7", the clamps 5 being connected to such rearfwardly extend ing portions. The plate is then bent-fen. wardly as shown at 7, thelast mentioned portions being connected with the central portion -7 which is substantiallyparallel the bumpercomprising two members which will now be described. 7 Each of the front or impact section mamv each havin its outer en rearwardly curved, as s own-at9, the outer end of each of said plates being provided with an eye 10, the eyes being adapted to receive the bolts 12 which extend through the eyes 8 on the ends of the plate 7. The plates impact-transmitting memberysaid/member f K spring plate 9,

comprising two spring plates each having a central horizontal portion 14 and 15 respectively adapted to conform to and be secured to the central horizontal portion '1 of the-plate 7 and each having end por- I in of the latter.

end portions of each ofthe last mentioned plates being offset in opposite directions vertically and the end portions of each plate being oifset oppositely from. the end portions of the other, whereby such end portions are adapted to eng e the plates 9 when the latter shall have een deflected rearwardly a suflicient distance by impact. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the auxiliary lates 14 and 15 are secured to the central portion 7" of the. late 7 the plate 14 being shown in front 0 the plate 15. However, the end portions of the plates are so shaped and curved that they are adapted to engage both plates 9 simultaneously on equal deflection or bendrough the construction and arrangement described, light impacts will be absorbed by either or both of the members 9.

Heavier impacts will cause either or both of saidmembers to engage the yielding ends .of their res ective auxllia p ates or membars 14 and 15; and the ?)rwardly" bowed portion of the rear member 7 will cooperate progressively with the members 9, =14 and 15 in absorbing such impacts in accordance with their severi A blow of sufiicient strength received y either end portion of the bumper will not only cause it to en-' counter the plates or members 14, 15hbut,

through the action of the hinges-12 the supports 2 and 5, will cause the rear memher 7 to press said lates or members forward, thus not only insuring the progressive absorption of such blows by-the members 7 and 14 or 15, but hastening the'enga ment' of said members. The bumper wi thus 0 rate to ofl'er a regressive. resistance to t e transmission of blows or shocks to the vehicle irrespective of which portion of the impact section may receive the blows or shocks.

Having. thus described my invention, what claim is: v

1. In a bumper, the combination of an impact section. comprising a plurali of, spaced yieldable members, a rear yiel able member connected at its ends to and between the outer ends of the first mentioned-- membersmnd having its central, portion spaced rearwardly from thelcentral portion of such members, and yieldable means carried by the central portion of the said rear member and sponding portions of the t e 2. In a bumper, the combination of an impact section comprisin a pluralit of spaced gieldable members an a' rear yiel able memr having a portion spaced rearwardly from such members, and yieldable means carried by such portion of the said rear member and posit oned to engage the corresponding impact members'as latter are deflected rearwardly.

positioned to engage the corre-.

.of vertically spaced yieldable impact members and a rear. member connected at opposite ends to the first mentioned members and having. its central ortion spaced therefrom, and a pair of yiel dable plates connected to the central portion of the rear member, said 7 plates having ends positioned to enga 0 either or bot of the front members as t e latter are deflected rearwardly.

4;. In a bumper, the combination of a pair of vertically spaced yieldable impact members and a rear member connected at opposite ends to the first-mentioned members and having its central portion spaced therefrom, and a pair of yieldable plates connected to the central portion of the rear member and each having ends flected rearwardly.

5. In a bumper, the combination of an impact "section comprising a pair of vertiy spaced yieldable members and a rear member connected at its ends to and between the-first mentioned members and having its central portion projected forwardly and "spaced from the, corresponding portions of yiel able memthe first two m'embers,"and bers carried by; the central portion of said rearmember gnd arranged to be deflected rearwardf-lby; the rearward deflections of either or j th of the first mentioned memrs. 6. In a bumper, the combination of an impact section comprising a pair of vertically spaced yieldable members and a rear' membero eratively tione 'members and having its central r-; tion projected forwardly and 5 seed fi m the correspondin members, and yie able members carried by the central portion of said rear member and ositioned to be deflected together with the atter, by the rearward deflections of either or both of the front members. 7. In a bumper,- the combination of an 1m1 act section comprising a pair of vertica comprising a spring plate connected at its opposite ends to the ends of the first mentxoned plates and having its central ortion projectedtoward but spaced from t e central portions of the first two plates, and spring arms secured-to and projecting from t e central portion of positioned to engage plates as the latter are deflected rearwardly. a bumper, the combination of an im act section comprising a pair of vertica y spaced spring plates, a rear section compri a spring plate operatively con nected to t e first mentioned plates and havthe first mentioned peositioned to engage bothof the front mem rs as the latter are de- 86 ortions of t e first two y spaced spring plates, a rear section the rear plate and m ;;kiiig its central portion spaced from the centra 7 section and each havm imlpact section com 10 projected toward but portionsof the first two platesgand spring arms secured to and projecting from the central portion of the rear plate and positioned to engage the first mentioned plates as the latter are deflected rearwardly.

9. In a bumper, the combination of an rising a pair of vertica y spaced yielda le members adapted to extend across a vehicle and a single section connected at its opposite ends to the ends of the impact section and having its central portion projecting toward the correspondmg portion of the impact section and spaced therefrom, anda pair of 5 ring members secured to the central ortion of the second its ends oflset in opposite directions vertically whereby they .-may engage the members of the impact section, the ends of'the said two spring memhere also beingoil'set in opposite directions vertically.

. 10. In a bumper, the combination of an lilfflcb section com rising a pair of verti- .spacedyieldab 0 plates adapted to extend acr 'oss a vehicle and a single section comprising a yieldable' plate connected at its oppositejends. to the ends of the impact section and having its central portion projecting toward the corresponding ortion of the impact section and-spaced t erefrom,

and a pair of sprin plates secured to the central portion of e second section and each be, its ends ofiset in opposite dimotions v 'cally whereby they may on age the'plates of the impact section, the en s of the said two plates also being ofi'set in opposite directions vertically.

7 11. In a hamper, the combination of an impact section comprising a plurality of spaced yieldable members, a rear yieldable member conflicted at its ends to the outer wardly from such members, yiel able means the and carried by such rtio'n of the said rear member and positioned to engage the corresponding portions of the front members as t e latter are deflected rearwardly, and supporting members pivotally connected to w rear section.

13. In a bumper, the combination of a 14. In a bumper, the combination of an i impact section com rising a pair of vertical y spaced yields le members and a rear member connected at its ends to and be tween the first mentioned members and having its central portion projected forwardly and spaced from the corresponding ortions of the first two members, and yieldab e members carried by the central portion of said rear member and positioned to be deflected rearwardly by the rearward deflections of the first mentioned members 15. In a bumper, the combination of a front impact section comprising a pair of verticallyspaced spring plates, a rear sec: tion compri'si its op osite em to the an of the first mentione plates and having its central ortion projected toward but spaced from t e cen-' tli a spring late connected at ve r; tically spaced spring plates, a rear section comprising a spring plate operatively conneted to the first mentioned plates, spring arms secured to and projectm from-the central portion ofthe. rear mem r and positioned to engage-the first mentionedmem hers as the latter are deflected rearwardly, and supporting members pivotally connected to the said rear section.

17. In a bumper, the combination of an im act section com rising a tir of vertical y spacedyieldab e bars an a secondary sectio'n comprising a rear yieldable bar connected at its ends to the first, mentioned bars and having its central ortibn spaced rear wardly from the centre ortion of the first mentioned bags, andan mpact-trasmitting 'member secured at its central portion to the central portion of the said rear bar and having its ends projectin toward the first mentioned bars, between e central ortions and the ends thereof, and arrang to be deflected, by the'deflections of the first mentioned bars,'toward the rear here 18. In a bumper, the combination of a pair ofvertically spaced impact bars, a secandary her having its ends connected to the between the central portions and the ends of ends of the first mentioned bars and hevmg suchabars, and arranged to be deflected rear- 1 its central portiion'spaoed rearwardly from wardly by the-rearward deflections of such the central portions of the first mentioned first mentioned bars. 5. ban nnd an impact-reeeiv' memberhaw' In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix ing its central portion seen to the central our signatures.

portion of the rear bar and having itsends CHRISTIAN GIRL. 'proj'ecting toward the first mentioned bars, J OHN G. UTZ. 

